


Here There Be Magic

by Welsh_Woman



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Arthur Finds Out, Arthur Pendragon Is King, F/M, M/M, Medieval Medicine, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Episode AU: S04E05 Lancelot de Luc, oblivious boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 19:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13508244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Welsh_Woman/pseuds/Welsh_Woman
Summary: Arthur and Merlin are on a hunt with the knights when they met a pair of women who threaten to upend the careful peace Camelot has cultivated since the banishing of Gwen......something that may upend the careful balance that has been tipping between Merlin and Arthur.





	1. Chapter 1

Merlin was following Arthur through the forest, nothing too unusual, going through the trees and various undergrowth as quietly as possible and still getting irritated looks from King Prat when he apparently fails at it.

The unusual part about all of this is that Sir Percival is the one leading this hunt instead of Arthur... Well, not too unusual; ever since Arthur became King and that whole Lancelot/Gwen thing became public knowledge, the knights had either treated Arthur with more care than they normally did after hearing how he reacted to seeing Gwen and Lancelot together, or they made it their business to put themselves between Arthur and any other 'potential danger' in a rather vain attempt to pretend that everything was normal.

Which it wasn’t, and you had to look no farther than Camelot's King to tell.

Merlin's heart ached for Arthur; he had tried to stop Lancelot, had known that Morgana was planning something horrible and hated that she was using his friend to do so, that she was using someone so close to the three of them-Arthur, Gwen, and him-because she knew that would make the betrayal all the more heartbreaking...

That was all that Merlin could see on Arthur's face when he had rushed into the council room moments too late; it seemed like Arthur believed that if he could just kill Lancelot, he could wake up from the dream he was in, for with every cry that left Arthur's lips and every swing of his sword seemed to ring with one desperate plea: _No-no-no-no-no-no- **no-no-no-no-no**...!_

 _Anything but_ **_this_**!

The following confrontation had been part of one of the worst days of Merlin's life; he had been dismissed from the hall along with everyone else and he had been half tempted to use magic to make it so that he could stay, making sure that Arthur didn't do anything that he would regret later…

Merlin was unable to, for as soon as the guards closed the doors behind him, there was a massive rush of bodies and he ended up being pressed against the door between Sir Elyan and Sir Leon, with Sir Percival's body trapping him there when the man leaned in from behind him. Biting his lip, Merlin decided to chance it and whispered a spell that let him hear what was being said, in case either Arthur or Gwen needed him...

" _Pwastrian aet ceallain_."

"What was that?" It was unavoidable, as closely pressed in as he was on all sides, that someone would hear Merlin's whispered incantation and bring it to the others' attention. Right as he was going to do the bumbling fool routine and ask 'What?', Gwaine raised a hand to his lips and cut him off.

"Sh! I think I hear something!"

 ** _"...am I still just your King? Get up, for goodness sake... I was to be your husband!_**"

The pain reverberating in that voice made Merlin hate Morgana all the more, made him wish that he had listened to the Great Dragon and killed her when he had said that she was a threat instead of trying to find a way to become her friend, wished he had just let the poison kill her instead of letting Morgause heal her, and most of all he wished he had just stopped her when she had come back and killed all hope that there was still a piece of the Lady he had first seen upon his arrival at Camelot in her somewhere...

"Can you hear what they're saying?" Sir Elyan seemed stuck between feeling for his sister, his blood kin despite what he believed she had done, and being angry on Arthur's behalf, the man that had saved his life and made him a Knight, despite the fact that there was no noble blood in his veins.

Trying to hear what was being said, Merlin motioned at him to wait and pressed his ear even closer to the door to make it look like he was having as hard a time as they were understanding what was going on, reminded that there were others in this tragedy that was quickly unfolding before him.

**_"What happened, Guinevere? We were happy, I know we were happy..."_ **

It was impossible to tell who Arthur was trying to convince, Gwen or himself; he sounded like a man that had just woken up from a life-long dream to see his world in shambles around him and Merlin had to swallow past a lump in his throat when he heard it.

" ** _You felt it too...?_** "

Gwen must have nodded because Merlin didn't hear her answer.

" ** _Do you love him? Have you always loved him?_** _"_

Gwen found her voice then; had just enough strength to release a single quivering, pain filled word: " ** _No._** "

Arthur wasn't convinced, because his next question was a quiet snap as if he was hanging on to his rather volatile temper, all his aching pain, by the most tenderest of threads...

" ** _All those times you said you wanted to be with me-_** "

" ** _I meant every word_**!"

Gwen's voice was starting to sound just as broken as Arthur's and Merlin couldn't help closing his eyes at the fact that two of his closest friends were hurting so badly, that they were becoming two broken halves instead of the happy whole they were supposed to become, and he missed the look of fear that overcame Sir Elyan's face along with the way that Gwaine was staring at him, brows furrowed as if trying to sort out a puzzle in his head.

" ** _Tomorrow was our wedding day_**."

" ** _I know_**."

One day, they were to be married in just _one day_...

If only he could have stopped Lancelot, maybe even distract him for a little while, just long enough for Arthur to come across either Gwen alone or a completely empty room and Agravaine would finally come under some suspicion.

Just long enough for Gwen to either be there by herself and give Merlin time to talk her out of what she was going to do, or for her to go back to her room and still give Merlin time to cure her of whatever was wrong. He _knew_ Gwen, _knew_ how much she loved Arthur, and knew she would _never_ do anything like _this_ if she was in her right mind...

“ ** _If you had worries..._** "

" ** _I wasn't worried._** "

She would have told him if she had.

" ** _If you had doubts..._** "

" ** _I didn't have any doubts_**."

She would have told _Merlin_ about that.

" ** _Then forgive me, for I must be really stupid! WHAT! WERE! YOU! DOING?_** "

From the way that everyone drew away from the door, including Merlin, he could tell that he hadn't needed his spell to hear that one...

Sir Elyan's face was pale, Sir Leon was starting to look worried himself and the rest of the Knights had various looks of fear or disappointment on their features.

Every single one of them loved both Arthur and Gwen, would lay down their lives for either of them, and many of them couldn't believe what was happening, that the happy couple was breaking down mere hours before their wedding was supposed to begin, that Gwen was even capable of doing what she appeared to have done...

" ** _Sorry..._** "

That part came to Merlin's ears alone, low and repentant, and he had a good idea of what had happened; Arthur was very different from Uther, something everyone-from peasant to noble-loved about their King, but he did have a bit of his father's temper in him. The incident that happened after he had seen Gwen and Lancelot together was proof of that, so he must have grabbed Gwen or something along those lines before realizing what it was he was doing.

" ** _No, no, no_** ," Sweet, forgiving, completely _innocent_ Gwen had already brushed aside what had happened, had accepted his rage after what the whole Court believed to be her treason-against a King and a man-and was simply trying to beg forgiveness of her own, " ** _It is I who should be sorry... You mean everything to me, Arthur. Once, there was Lancelot... a long time ago! But I haven't considered him that way for many years! I thought he was dead, I thought I would never see him again! And then, when I did... I was... overwhelmed. I was drawn to him. I couldn't stop myself, I don't know why..._**

Merlin's heart was breaking for his friends all over again just remembering it, remembering how badly he wanted to admit he had magic right there, that Lancelot was a shade and everything that Gwen had done couldn't possibly be her fault, that he knew how much she loved Arthur and wouldn't possibly betray him like that.

He wondered again why he didn't, remembering what had followed after Gwen's confession:

" ** _I love you! You mean everything to me! All these years, I've waited for you..._** "

" ** _You only had to wait one more day_**."

Arthur had sounded like a man that has seen an angel, has found a pot of gold, was announced the Lord of a large estate or whatever it was nobles wanted these days and was mere inches away from claiming it to only see someone snatch it away.

For Arthur, it _had_ happened; Morgana had snatched the happiness away from Arthur's life and she did it by finally finding Arthur's-the self-proclaimed invincible killing machine-weak spot: his heart.

" _ **All I ever wanted is to be your Queen. I still want to be your Queen**_."

Merlin had always been able to tell that, even back when Gwen claimed not to like Arthur, back when he had thought for a little while that she had liked _him_. It was obvious in the way she talked about Arthur-who calls someone they disliked a 'rough, tough, save-the-world' type of man?-and the way she looked at him like she had been the one that had seen the unicorn that day in the forest; awed, and with a little bit of reverence.

Even back when she had first met Lancelot, had been stuck in Hengist's castle with him, she had been in love with Arthur; sure, she had been upset when Lancelot had left without saying goodbye, but that was because she had thought her dream of being with Arthur was just a dream and the prat hadn't helped anything by claiming that the only reason he had come at all was because Morgana had 'begged him to'...

“ ** _Do you know what they're saying?_** "

Arthur's voice had lost the heart-wrenching pain that had filled it up until now and was quickly being replaced with a raw, seething anger, something that made the hairs on the back of Merlin's neck stand on edge; he had heard that tone before, had seen what had come after that animalistic rage had been unleashed and ran amok unchecked... For a few split seconds, his concern turned from his grieving King-his grieving _friend_ -and was for Gwen alone...

" ** _That in my father's day, you would be put to death_**."

For a moment, Merlin forgot to breathe, making all the Knights look at him in confusion, but he was too preoccupied with making it look like he was listening at the door again.

A pause followed that ominous statement that seemed to take forever, a silence so loud that Merlin could swear he heard every beat of his, Arthur's, and Gwen's hearts fill the council chambers and the hallway where they stood. Would one of those hearts stop in the next few hours?

“ ** _I don't want to see you dead, Guinevere..._** "

Merlin exhaled slowly, the confining pain in his chest lessening slightly with the action before Arthur took all the breath from his lungs with his next words.

 ** _“...but I don't want to see you. I can not look on you, every day. You will leave Camelot at first ligh_ _t_** -"

Both Merlin's heart and Gwen tried to make him change his mind with a single plea, " ** _Arthur..._** ”

 ** _"-you return upon pain of death_**."

Arthur was past listening, past all the hurt and pain that had plagued him; he _was_ being merciful, Merlin could see and understand that he wasn't killing Gwen, after all, and he was giving her time to leave...

He was also tearing both his and Gwen's hearts out with every single word he uttered, making Merlin raise his gaze to the only other person-currently not locked up-that would be affected by this news; Sir Elyan was looking at him like he was expecting a miracle, but his eyes fell to the floor when Merlin returned the look with a small shake of his head, the rest of the Knights also realizing that the worst was happening and Camelot was going to be a rather morbid place in days to come.

Gwen answer to this proclamation was low, broken and it was only through a sheer force of will and years of keeping his secret that kept Merlin from crumbling onto the floor right then and there, weeping along with the woman on the other side of the door...

The pain in her voice made him have to take a steadying breath, even now.

" ** _No... No, no, no, no! I can not be without you!_** "

" ** _That is my decision!_** "

A decision that Merlin knew was hurting Arthur as much as it was Gwen; he could hear it, knew that to anyone and everyone else, it would look like Arthur didn't care or that he wasn't affected by what he was doing at all, but Merlin had spent enough time with King Prat to know that whenever he was hurt, he always tried to make himself sound tough and unreachable.

Listening to him right now, Merlin knew that if he wasn't a King and a Pendragon, he would be crying as hard as Gwen was... perhaps even harder...

" ** _Where will I go_**?"

Merlin knew then as he knew now that Gwen didn't really care, she just wanted to prolong her stay, to try to make Arthur change his mind and at least let her stay near him... Hearing the clunk of Arthur's boots, Merlin came to the unhappy conclusion that she was unsuccessful.

Knowing that it was mere seconds before Arthur left the council chamber, Merlin motioned for the Knights to go, speeding down the corridor himself and hearing Arthur's quiet reply, " ** _I am sorry... I am truly sorry_**."

Merlin made it around a corner right as he heard the creak of the doors, trying to convince himself that the wetness on his face was sweat and not tears...

By the time he had made it Gaius' rooms, he must have done a rather lousy job, because his father figure wrapped his arms around Merlin and held him until the sudden case of the shakes that overtook him calmed down to little shivers, never once demanding to know what happened and only waiting until Merlin had started talking to ask any questions...

" _Merlin!_ "

Jerked out of his head, Merlin looked up to see that he had fallen behind the rest of the group and they were looking at him funny, Arthur the only exception with his look of mild annoyance.

"Are you planning on joining us any time soon, or are you just going to drop down and take a nap?"

Scrabbling to catch up with the rest of the group, Merlin tripped a few times but managed to catch himself before he landed face first on the forest floor.

Struggling not to blush in embarrassment, Merlin grinned back at the laughter that always followed his characteristic clumsiness, answering Arthur's quip with one of his own. "And miss the chance to see you make an ever-bigger prat of yourself than you manage to do already? No, thank you, sire."

Arthur rolled his eyes and the Knights with them laughed as well; they had become used to the way that Arthur and Merlin interacted, had even made a few comments on the 'depth' of their relationship(most of those comments came from Gwaine) and they all agreed that Merlin was a good influence on their King, not that they would admit it to either of their faces.

There had even been times when they had even defended Merlin when he slipped and acted the way he did with this particular group in front of visiting royalty, surprising the hidden warlock with their loyalty and ferocity when they had put the young Lord in his place...

It had thrown Merlin when they had done that and they had teased him unmercifully for the gobsmacked expression on his face as he watched them take the Lord to task for 'insulting a close friend and confidant of the King'. After correcting them about the confidant and friend part of their speech-which they promptly ignored-Merlin couldn't help but smile at the fact that he had made such an impact on these men.

They traveled in silence for a little while after that, Merlin not letting his mind wander to what had happened a few weeks prior and instead took the time to study the man in front of him; aside from some shadows underneath his eyes, Arthur didn't look like what had happened had affected him in the slightest bit and Merlin wasn't sure that he should feel happy or sad about that, wondering what the people that Arthur loved so much thought of the fact that the King didn't seem to be affected by the betrayal of his intended.

Would they appreciate his strength, or believe him heartless?

Thinking of all that had happened during those first few weeks, there was at least one plus to all of this; when Agravaine had made a comment about 'warning Arthur of the deceitful ways of serving maids', Merlin had the great pleasure of being there to see him get dressed down for speaking that way about someone 'who was going to be the future Queen of Camelot'.

It was moments like that which gave Merlin the hope that he might see his friend again, whether it was a few days or even twenty years from now, and that Arthur's heart might be whole again.

"You aren't falling asleep on us again, are you?" Gwaine voice sounded by Merlin's ear, making him jump and spin around so fast that Gwaine had to grab him by the arm to keep him from falling.

The Knight's laughter and Merlin's retort were cut off by a sharp whistle that signaled that Sir Percival had seen something and that they needed to be quiet. Looking over at the man, they saw that the lines of his face had tensed and that he had tried to make his rather large frame look even smaller by crouching low to the ground, making the slight bit of humor that had slipped amongst the group slip right back out again.

They weren't hunting game anymore...

Using the hand that had been holding him up to pull Merlin along, Gwaine seemed to read his mind by running up to Arthur and depositing him at the King's side with a wink that had Arthur rolling his eyes again and sent Merlin blushing at the implications in the man's smile as well.

Turning away from the pair of fools that landed beside him, Arthur looked out over the clearing that they were current hiding to the top and slightly left of, motioning for everyone to stay low.

When Merlin finally looked down into the clearing, he understood the tension that had overtaken the men and had to swallow a few times to keep the bile that had been threatening to come up down.

The only way to describe the scene was as the aftermath of a massacre; there were bodies strewn everywhere, purple and silver clashing with gold and white, red stains standing out even more vividly on the latter's flags, banners, and armor.

Not a spare patch of land was visible under or around all those bodies and Merlin could only pray that whatever this had been wasn't heading toward Camelot; after everything that had happened in the past couple of weeks, and the fact that he had to smooth the feathers of the nobles that had called for Gwen's death, Arthur really didn't need any more stress.

And Merlin didn’t want any more of his friends to be lost.

"Spread out, search for survivors, try to figure out what happened here," Arthur's voice was short, terse and his expression wasn't any better; apparently, he was thinking along the same lines as Merlin was and was wondering what this could mean for Camelot, of which they were only a few days ride away from, and was already dealing with one crisis.

Putting on what Merlin called his 'King Arthur' face, his royal prat leap over the barricade of foliage they were hiding behind and started searching the carnage for clues, Merlin only a few steps behind him.

It was horrible back-breaking work, with the stench of blood and internal organs filling the air whenever one drew breath, but the Knights gamely kept looking for a survivor to help and question or _anything_ that might give them a clue as to what might have happened between the two forces...

Long hours passed as they gathered the bodies into a pile to burn and bury, as they scoured the ground for clues as to if this was a normal fight or if there had been any magic done here as well, as they tried not to let the sight of all these bodies so close to Camelot eat at their spirits.

Halfway through their laborious work, Gwaine called them all over to the other side of the field they were working on, commenting that he had found 'something interesting' and wanted them to check it out 'just in case he was right'.

Arthur and Merlin made it to where Gwaine was standing at about the same time, both immediately seeing what he was referring to; there was a rather large group of knights from both sides here, gathered in front of what appeared to be a large upturned carriage. It seemed to suggest that they had either died trying to get in or protecting it, making Merlin immediately grow suspicious of whatever was inside that carriage and Arthur immediately think that there might be someone inside that needed their help, to the surprise of no one.

He then-of course!-ordered his Knights to open the carriage and see if there was anyone or anything still inside, ignoring Sir Elyan and Sir Leone when they voiced Merlin's thoughts as well as insulting Merlin when he was unable to hold his own tongue and chimed in two seconds later.

With a massive and collective sigh at the stubbornness of their King, the Knights cleared away the bodies in short order and then gathered around the carriage with their swords drawn, stances ready in case whatever it was that was in the carriage was hostile; Merlin standing at the back as he tried to remember every spell he knew that might help if something came barreling out of there before any of the Knights could react.

After a few seconds of no one moving, Arthur rolled his eyes at the lot of them, muttering under his breath as he pushed past to the carriage and pulled the door open with a vicious tug, looking inside as he did so.

Apparently, there was nothing of import, because his head came back out only a second later, "There's no one in there-"

A sudden hum of magic was Merlin's only warning before there was a screech like an angry hellcat, quickly followed by a body flying over the carriage to land on top of Arthur, knocking his sword out of his hands and making the Knights completely useless; the attacker was too close to Arthur for them to offer any aid without accidentally hurting him the process, something the attacker seem to realize as well, if the crazed smile they gave the Knights was any indication.

Pressing the knife that seemed to appear out of nowhere and then was suddenly in their hand against Arthur's neck, the attacker hissed in a voice that was harsh with anger, "Who in the bloody hell are you and what did you do to my Knights?"

Collected despite the fact that death was a hair's breath away from his neck, Arthur met the eyes of his assailant and announced in his most royal filled voice, "I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot and these are my Knights. We came upon this scene only a few hours ago and were trying to determine if there was anything we could do for these men, aside from giving them a proper burial. I assure you, my Lady, that we mean you and whoever you are protecting no harm and will even offer what aid we can, provided that you remove your blade from my neck."

The assailant - now identified as a female - eye's went wide and she pressed the knife even closer to Arthur's neck, making the rest of the group tense up even more as their King's skin was mere inches away from being pierced, but she seemed much more scared than threatening now; the hand that held the knife was trembling slightly and the authority in her voice was slowly being replaced by terror, making it sound much less threatening and much more lost.

"H-how do I know that I can trust you when I saw you rummaging around in the carriage not two seconds ago? How do you know that I'm protecting someone if you weren't the ones that attacked my party? Tell me the answer to that, Oh Great King Pendragon!"

Arthur placed his own hand over the one that held a knife at his throat, his voice low and calm as he spoke now; knowing that this woman was acting out of fear instead of anger taking away his own fear, making him feel more in control of the situation.

"I noticed that there was a catch on the floor as I withdrew my head from the carriage, so I believed that there might be something inside. Given your hostility and the way the men were gathered around the carriage, I simply realized that there was something more important than gold in there..."

There was silence as the woman seemed to consider what Arthur told her, her gaze locked with his, almost as if she was trying to extract the truth from his mind...

Merlin kept a close watch on the woman, making sure that the magic flare that he had felt earlier didn't get directed at Arthur as they stood there and watched; he could feel it faintly pulsing, but it did not seem to be emitting from the stranger.

Then who...?

The woman pulled away from Arthur then, allowing him to rise up, but kept her knife out and pointed at the rest of them.

Now that he wasn't focused on how close Arthur was-yet again-to death, Merlin took in the woman standing in front of them; her hair was a deep, chocolate brown that matched her eyes, a narrow face and full lips that were being chewed by her teeth as she considered the men in front of her.

She was thin, almost distressingly so, but if one took into consideration she just tackled Arthur like she did that every day and even managed to keep him pinned for a few seconds, Merlin was pretty sure that her small frame belied a great strength.

"You don't have the same colors as the men that attacked us... Who did you say you were again?"

"Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot. These are my Knights... and my rather useless manservant, Merlin." Arthur replied, retrieving his sword from where it had flown when he had been tackled as he eyed the open door of the carriage, frowning at the woman in front of him and completely ignoring the way Merlin rolled his eyes at him upon his own introduction. "If you pardon my asking, who are you and what's in there that these men were willing to die for, anyway?"

The Lady put her knife away in a simple sheath that hung at her hip as she still silently studied the lot of them, before suddenly turning around to reach into the carriage, popping open the catch Arthur mentioned earlier on the floor and revealing a hidden compartment.

The corner of a soft smile was visible before she fully turned to observe the contents lying inside the floor, making the Knights give each other confused looks behind her as she bent down and wrapped her arms around whatever was inside, talking over her shoulder as she started to lift it up.

"You were right the first time, my Lord Pendragon, about this being more precious than gold; that my men were willing to fight for, even die for, something very precious indeed... My name is Lady Rosemonde of Dorian and this-"

Arms reached up and wrapped themselves around Lady Rosemonde's shoulders, giving her a better grip and allowing her to lift out a young woman that rivaled Lady Rosemonde in thinness, face pale with the same features as Lady Rosemonde and hair a vibrant red that fell over the unnamed Lady's shoulders like a waterfall.

Turning around, Lady Rosemonde made several of the Knights release shocked gasps as she showed them that the woman's originally beautiful white dress was covered with garnet stains that were starting to dry and turn brown, the worst collecting on her chest, just below her neck.

"-is my only kin and sister, who is in a very perilous state... Is your offer of aid still open?"

As they were quickly escorted past him, Merlin caught sight of a pair of sapphire eyes dulled in pain, shocking him when their gaze met for the briefest of glances.

It was not because of the shade itself-blue was a common eye color in Camelot and it would have thrown him more if her eyes were any other shade-or that she was conscious despite appearing to be in a lot of pain, but because of what he heard when she passed by him:

It was a small, lost voice that whispered directly into his mind in a soft caress that was only known to those with magic, something that told him that there might be more to these women than what met the eye and that his earlier suspicion about them might even prove to be true.

The only thing that kept him from making his suspicions known was the fact that the voice whispered two pleading words that he had heard once before... a long time ago in a place much closer to home... from someone that also had been hurt almost as badly and yet, that someone had ended up becoming a rather dangerous enemy...

" _Help... me..._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Pwastrian aet ceallain' basically means 'whisper to shout'.
> 
> Or, at least, that's what Google says...?


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin was ordered over to help treat the Lady moments after she had been made comfortable, pulling him out of his shock from hearing her speak in his mind and giving him something to focus on.

Thankfully, for both the Lady and himself, she had passed out from the blood loss and he didn't have to hide hearing pain-filled pleas in his head.

After letting Merlin assess the wounds that he could see, Lady Rosemonde borrowed Sir Elyan and Sir Percival so that she could clean her sister before they wrapped her up to avoid anything getting infected.

"Are you _sure_ this is a good idea, Your Highness?" Sir Leon asked, his hand having never left the sword at his side since the first woman had shown up, his eyes fixed on the direction the sisters had disappeared in. "We have no clue as to who these women really are, only their word as to who they claim to be... How are we sure that this isn't some trap for an enemy to enter Camelot? Or that one of these women won't put you under the same enchantment that me and my men were held under?"

Ever since that day, many of the Knights had observed every woman that came within five feet of them with suspicion and distrust, causing several more rumors about 'Arthur's Knights' to fly around the castle and city than there were originally. Merlin would have thought it was amusing if he hadn't had to deal with the angry and possessive madmen that had taken place of the people he had thought were his friends; now he was just as suspicious of these women as they were, maybe more of one than the other, and was more than inclined to agree with Sir Leon if Arthur ever decided to listen to what he said...

Arthur, on the other hand, had come to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to trust these two, despite that he had just as much reason not to as Sir Leon and the other Knights. "What if they _aren't_ , Leon? What if they are just travelers that were ambushed by forces too strong for their men to overcome? Lady Rosemonde had plenty of time to slit my throat when she had me at her mercy, but she _didn't_ , she trusted me enough to remove her blade and take me at _my_ word that we would not harm her or her sister. She _trusted_ me, and I am more than willing to return the favor... Her sister is in desperate need for our help, Sir Leon, are you suggesting that we should just turn them away?"

"I should hope not, My Lord," Lady Rosemonde had returned, her sister wrapped in one of the Knight's cloaks and still in her arms as Lady Rosemonde made her way across the field to where the rest of them were standing, eyes darting between Sir Leon and Arthur. "Or, if you are, would you at least let us have the use of your physician to treat my sister and then let us be on our way? I realize that you have no reason to trust us and that I did not help anything by attacking you, but please... if you have any honor in your heart, save my sister, if nothing else."

Her voice was so broken, desperate and lost that Merlin had moved before he had time to think of the consequences, think of what had happened the last time he had helped a Druid, and tuned everyone else out as he placed a hand on the unconscious Lady's forehead.

Her eyelids flickered at his touch, her forehead was slightly warm while not being feverish, and this gave Merlin hope that he might at least keep her alive until they made it back to Camelot to be treated by Gaius...

Trying to ignore the hiss of metal as Sir Leon drew his sword at Merlin's movement and the way Lady Rosemonde had unconsciously moved toward him in response, Merlin looked up at the Lady in question.

She was looking back at him like he was the lifeline being thrown her way after she had fallen off a ledge, and that made him feel slightly shy as he stated, "She responded to my touch, and her temperature isn't very high, so I believe that I can help her... What is her name, My Lady?"

He barely managed to suppress his jump of surprise when he was answered-mentally, yet again-and not by Lady Rosemonde, but by the wounded woman in her arms. It seemed that the Lady wasn't as unconscious as Merlin had originally thought...

That thought was further reinforced by the woman's trembling hand reaching out for Merlin in a way that had him almost immediately grasping her hand with his own.

" _I am... Elaine. Help me, Emrys... Please..._ "

"Her name is Elaine, Sir Merlin." The relief in Lady Rosemonde's voice was palatable as her response coincided with her sister's mental reply, causing Merlin to blush at both her tone and the honorific she gave his name, while Gwaine snorted with barely suppressed laughter.

Merlin shot him a narrowed eye glare before turning back to Lady Rosemonde and changing his glare to a smile as he gestured for her to continue, "I saw all the wounds on her body; most of them are shallow, but the one on her neck... I'm not sure that one is..."

Nodding hastily as he took in the rather nasty looking wound, Merlin gave Arthur a quick look that conveyed his wish to help the Lady Elaine, but also that he would wait until Arthur gave him the command to do so. He hated to put Arthur in that sort of position, but he couldn't help but want to help these desperate women and hope that nothing horrible would come out of his decision to help a complete stranger-not to mention, a _Druid_ -this time...

Looking between Merlin's pleading gaze, Lady Rosemonde's desperate one, and Sir Leon's cautionary stare, Arthur's brows drew together as he bowed his head for a few minute's thought. There was complete silence in the clearing, save for Lady Elaine's shallow breathing and the uneasy shifting of a few of the Knights, for the time of a few heartbeats before Arthur raised his head and gave Merlin a short nod.

Moving quickly, Merlin followed Lady Rosemonde into the tent that the Knights had pitched while they were arguing over whether the Ladies should stay or not, averting his gaze when she rearranged the cloak around her sister so that she was properly covered, but also so that Merlin could see the wound on her neck; while the wound did not seem to be very deep, it was still bleeding steadily, but only a slow trickle through the rather large scab that had formed over it. The severity still made Merlin hesitate for the briefest of seconds as he wished that Gaius was there instead of him.

Merlin's unease made his steps unsteady and his voice quiver as he tried to remember the lessons he learned from listening with half an ear to what Gaius had said during his time treating the people of Camelot during the many years Merlin had lived there, "I-I-I'm going to n-n-need warm water, yarrow, hog's wart, and clean linens... I-I-I'm sure I'll think of something else later, probably right as I need it, so whatever that m-m-may be as w-w-well..."

Raising up, the Lady Rosemonde went to exit the tent and placed a comforting hand on Merlin's shoulder, making him look at her in surprise at the fact that a Lady would ever touch a lowly servant like him.

Catching his look, she gave him a small smile before her gaze went back to her sister, her eyes dimming in pain. "I understand that you are nervous and perhaps only an apprentice, so I will not blame you if she... if she does not make it through this."

Looking like she was physically pulling herself together, the Lady Rosemonde returned her gaze to Merlin and forced a smile on her face that looked like it hurt to do so and did absolutely nothing to help sooth Merlin's rattled nerves.

"I am only asking that you try to help her, Sir Merlin, nothing more. I'm not expecting a miracle and I realize that her wounds are grave, it is just... S-she is **_special_** , not only to _me_ , but to our _people_ as well and if you could save her..."

Overcome by tears yet again, the Lady Rosemonde swallowed hard and closed her eyes in a vain attempt to keep them from falling before she gave Merlin's shoulder a squeeze of hope, leaving the tent with a shaky breath. Merlin sighed heavily and looked at the pale form on the tent floor, wondering if this was as good an idea as it had been only a few minutes ago, before he leaned down and went to work on his second calling with another heavy sigh.

He had only just started cleaning the dirt and dried blood from around the Lady Elaine's neck, hoping to have everything ready for when Lady Rosemonde returned with the supplies, when Arthur entered the tent and came over to sit on the other side of the Lady Elaine. The observation was making Merlin even more nervous than before, if that were even possible and he hoped that his unease wasn't showing as much as he felt as he gave Arthur a short nod.

"How is she doing, Merlin? Is there any hope for her?" Arthur's voice was low and concerned, something you rarely heard these past few weeks and it made Merlin look at someone in surprise for the second time that day, which in turn made Arthur immediately get defensive for his statement.

Merlin had to hide a smile when Arthur immediately puffed up in his most pratish, royal air and gave Merlin the kind of look that said he was a simple manservant while Arthur was King of Camelot and that he should never forget it!

"I'm only asking because as soon as Lady Rosemonde left this tent, she immediately burst into a rather loud batch of tears and wouldn't tell us anything when we questioned her, so I figured you must have opened your big mouth and said something stupid yet _again_. Having absolutely zero social skills to speak of, I also figured it must have had something to do with her sister, despite the rather delicate situation that she is in at the moment... So, out with it, Merlin, what did you say and how many weeks should I make you muck out the stables for it? Or should I just stick you in the stocks as soon as we get back home?"

"I didn't say anything!" Merlin growled, annoyed at how nearly everything was usually blamed on him and forgetting that there was a sick person that needed his care as he hissed at Arthur Pratdragon, "Listen here, you royal clot pole! The only reason that Lady Rosemonde is upset is because her _sister_ is on death's doorstop and you're distracting me when I should be taking care of her! I'm trying do this as best I can and I've only done this once before, so if your Royal Pratness doesn't mind, I would like to get back to Lady's Elaine's care!"

" _Mer_ lin!" Arthur seemed almost speechless with rage, something that Merlin took a private joy in for the few moments it lasted, but also knew that he would be answering for it later; for now, Arthur just sat there, pointing at Merlin's face and struggling to figure out what it was that he wanted to say.

It was a rare moment when Merlin could actually make Arthur speechless now; after everything with Gwen, he seemed so much more stoic then before, and Merlin was glad that it happened now, while he was far away from a certain castle and people who were really too fond of throwing vegetables at a completely innocent manservant...

After watching his King gasping like a caught fish for a few seconds, Merlin dropped his gaze to Lady Elaine to see that the noblewoman had regained enough strength to open her eyes and was also trying to smile, which caused Merlin to smile back at her and finally lifted the restraint that was on Arthur's voice as he looked between the two with annoyed bafflement.

"Well, since you weren't an idiot, _for once_ , I will leave you to your duties and hope you don't muck it all up like you usually do. I would hate to tell Lady Rosemonde that the reason she lost her sister is because she trusted a manservant who is utterly useless."

Lifting himself up with all the royal pompousness he could muster, Arthur stomped out of the tent to the sound of suppressed laughter, trying to keep a smirk of his own off his face.

It had been tense ever since the women had shown up and all of his Knights' warnings were starting to get on his nerves despite the fact that he knew that there was some truth in them. Seeing Lady Rosemonde leave the tent had given him the opportunity to see Merlin and pick on the poor sod for a little bit, surprising himself with the thought that he was actually seeking Merlin out...

Merlin didn't disappoint, with his total disregard for authority and the way he always had a retort for whatever Arthur said. The tension that had been eating away at him eased a bit and he was delighted to see that the Lady Elaine had enough strength to smile at a manservant gripping at his master.

That meant, despite Merlin's inexperience and ineptitude, that there might be a chance for the pale woman to live. After all, the last time Merlin had been sent out as a physician, Arthur had been told he had been correct in his diagnosis, so maybe Lady Elaine had more than just a chance.

Having never heard of Dorian before and deciding that he would rather learn something new than listen to old doubts, Arthur made his way to where Lady Rosemonde was gathering supplies to learn more about the women in his care.

Maybe he would be able to send a messenger to their kingdom and alert them as to what had happened…

Meanwhile, back in the tent, Merlin was trying to figure out the same thing while he had the chance; there was precious little time before Lady Elaine became unconscious again or they returned with the supplies he needed, so he figured he would act quick and hope his luck held out.

Turning so his back was to the tent door and he was facing Lady Elaine, Merlin tried to see if he could find anything out when he could still hide his magic, " _Can you still speak, Lady Elaine?_ "

" _Yes, Emrys..._ " The response was slow and slurred, much like someone just awakening from a deep sleep, and Merlin debated for a few seconds if he should just let her rest and talk to her later...

That decision was taken out of his hands when the Lady made to rise and he instinctively threw up his magic and caused the cloak she was wrapped up in to tighten around her body so he didn't see anything he shouldn't. " _Please, help me... you **have** to help me... I **need** you to help me..._ "

" _Yes, I know. I **am** going to help you,_ " Merlin responded, gently pushing the Lady back down to the tent floor, causing her let out a soft cry of pain and making Merlin feel like a barbarian for moving her in the first place. She only fought him for a few seconds before laying back down again, her hands still grasping Merlin's own in a desperate grip as she fell into back into sleep, muttering incoherently as she did so and making Merlin's unease rise again.

" _No, you don't... I'm in danger... You **all** are in danger... She'll hurt him... She'll.._."

" _Who is 'she'? Is it Lady Rosemonde? Who will she hurt?_ "

It was right as Lady Elaine's voice faded that Lady Rosemonde reentered the tent with the supplies that Merlin asked for, Elyan and Percival a few steps behind her, making Merlin suddenly feel very unsettled and not to mention a bit claustrophobic as he discreetly tried removed himself from Lady Elaine's hold without anyone noticing.

She once more only fought him for a few seconds before letting go, letting Merlin slip his hands back right as Lady Rosemonde finished setting out the supplies and Gwaine decided that he would join the group huddled around the Lady Elaine, situating himself with a thump between Sir Elyan and Sir Percival, the later giving him a rather nonplussed look and the former simply rolling his eyes.

Looking around at everyone that had gathered in the suddenly too small tent and fighting off an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end in a way that usually only happened when he was dealing with magic, Merlin just had to ask, "I know it's really not my place to say, but aren't there a lot more people in here than there should be? I barely have enough room to breathe in here and I'm pretty sure that Knights, especially male ones, are not supposed to see a noble Lady in such a state of... well, in such a state of undress."

At Merlin's words, the Knights immediately found things in the tent lining extremely interesting and Lady Rosemonde let loose a small chuckle as she observed their discomfort. "I believe a Sir Leon has insisted that a few Knights observe me and my sister so that no charms or spells are put upon His Majesty or the Knights that protect him. Considering the state my sister is in, I would rather use any magic I might have healing her than bewitching them, but I decided that I would agree so that Sir Leon's mind would be put at ease."

So, it was with much grumbling, wiggling and redness about the face that the company situated themselves around the tent, Percival seeming to take up twice as much space with his rather large build, and either watched Merlin attend to Lady Elaine, watched Lady Rosemonde watch Merlin, or watched the way the light hit the tent.

After several tense moments of silence, Merlin had finished cleaning the wounds that had peppered the Lady's body- ** _If she was being so closely protected, how did she managed to gain these wounds..? Was she outside the carriage at first...? Why would she be outside, if she was indeed the Lady Rosemonde's sister...?-_** and set about putting wrapping around them so that she could survive the trip to Gaius, perhaps even answering a few of the questions that were bounding around Merlin's head with every new wound that was presented to him.

"What's that?" So deep in his thoughts, Merlin started at the sound of Gwaine's voice and was startled to realize that, while he had also attracted the attention of the others in the tent, he was pointing at Lady Elaine's leg and the very place that Lady Rosemonde was now trying to move the cloak over, which was not helping her seem like an innocent noble to the rest of the Knights.

"I saw something on her leg before you covered it up, something that wasn't a battle wound..."

"Ignoring the fact that you were staring at my sister's legs and are not her husband," Lady Rosemonde answered flatly, making Gwaine's stern expression slip a bit before he hitched it right back up to where it was before as Elyan snickered and Percival rolled his eyes at the pair of them. "I will ease your fears by saying that it is a birthmark, a rather embarrassing blotch that she usually keeps covered because it causes just this reaction and I would thank you not ask to see it closer, for it is in a rather... compromising position."

Gwaine's face didn't lose its harshness, but now there was a redness about his cheeks that Merlin was sure had nothing to do with the heat of the tent and everything to do with the fact that he had been caught looking where he shouldn't have, by the Lady's sister to boot!

Elyan's snickers now turned into full out laughter and Lady Elaine's 'birthmark' was forgotten as the two got into a short scuffle that had Lady Rosemonde threatening to throw them out of the tent much like a mother threatening her children with an early bedtime...

Merlin, on the other hand, had been closer than Gwaine to the Lady and had therefore been able to see what the mark on the Lady's leg had really been; it was not a birthmark, but rather a symbol that he had come to associate with a particular group of people, making him wonder yet again at what these women wanted and what had happened between the two forces that had left Lady Elaine in such a state.

For the mark on her leg was the deep brown trisect of a Druid, meaning that Merlin had been _right_ and that she _did_ have magic, leaving her in danger of losing her life...

Yet here she was, warning Merlin and anyone else that she could, of an unknown danger and not done anything at present to harm them.

Biting his lip as he once more glanced between the two woman as he wondered if his decision to help them had been a wise one, Merlin went back to wrapping up the Lady Elaine, bandaging every wound that he found as her sister shifting the cloak to keep her modesty and honor intact, until he reexamined the one on her neck.

That one needed more that the pair of hands that they had; as soon as Lady Elaine's head was raised the way it was needed to bandage it, the cloak would shift and Lady Rosemonde was needed to keep any... important bits from showing... so that option was out as soon as the thought entered his head.

Taking a deep breath as he raised his head to study the tense profiles of everyone in the tent; the way that the Lady Rosemonde was looking at the group of men as if she wanted nothing less than to take her sister far away from the lot of them and the way that Gwaine's gaze was darting between the two women like they were a pair of dogs that were about to tear everyone apart.

Merlin sighed again and submitted to the inevitable as his voice cut through the silence that had once more taken over the company. "I need someone to lift the Lady Elaine's head."

There was an exchange of uneasy glances before Percival finally scooted past Gwaine and lifted Lady Elaine's head to rest upon his legs, the look on his face indicating that he might be more willing to deal with the Doracha again, not to mention the way that he lifted her head looked like he was being forced to go digging in a rubbish heap.

Once more, Merlin was struck with the thought that it would be funny to see all this fear from the 'bravest of Camelot's Knights' for an injured woman had he not lived through the past few weeks that he had.

He also did not have time to comment on the way that Percival was acting; for as soon as the Lady Elaine's head was lifted and settled upon the Knight's lap, her eyes shot open and pinned Percival with her gaze.

Her eyes stilled him in the act of shifting his weight when one of her hands shot up in a rather vain attempt to wrap around his wrist, her mouth moving in a request that was completely inaudible and made Percival's brows draw together as he looked from the Lady Elaine's hand around half his wrist to her face, lips pursed as he noticed her soundless muttering grew more frantic every time he glanced into her eyes.

It looked very much as if Percival was trying to figure out what she was saying despite the fact that he could not hear her, despite the fact that she was wisely keeping her magical powers secret, and was coming to the conclusion that Merlin had only a few moments earlier; one of these sisters was trying to warn them of something, in spite of being unable to speak coherently or getting anyone's attention/trust, and was doing all she could to get as many people as she could possible to understand her before whatever it was she warning them of came to pass.

The sudden moment had also caused nearly everyone in the tent to jump in surprise and draw out some sort of weapon, but they held back from acting when they saw that Percival wasn't going mad this time and that the two were just staring at each other, although Lady Rosemonde did look uncomfortable at the grip her sister had on Percival's wrist.

Neither of the two broke eye contact the entire time that Merlin tended and wrapped the Lady Elaine's neck wound, no noise or movement save for the rapid raising and falling of Lady's Elaine's chest as small noises of distress whispered past her lips and Percival's thumb caressing the side of her face almost of its own accord to distract her from her pain, her hair shielding the gesture from everyone-save Merlin.

After Merlin had finished wrapping Lady Elaine's neck, she slumped against Percival with a quiet " _Thank you, Emrys... for everything..._ " and her hand still wrapped around the knight's wrist in a grip that was slowly losing its strength, eyelids flickering as the herbs Merlin spread across her neck to numb the pain took effect.

The tension that held her body taunt as a bowstring slowly eased out of her as she slumped even closer against Sir Percival's form and made the Knight gain a rather red shade around his cheeks...

It was a little disconcerting to see her losing consciousness this time for a few reasons; the first being that Merlin really didn't have a good record when it came to something that was really Gaius' specialty, the second being that he had been so distracted by the revelation that the Lady Elaine was a Druid like he had thought that he wasn't sure what he had used on her neck and could have-in all intents and purposes-sped up her suffering instead of stopping it.

As Percival laid the Lady as softly as he could against the tent floor and removed her hand to the playful quips of Gwaine and Sir Elyan, the Lady Elaine's eyes snapped open one last time as she took in everyone around her-lingering for a moment on both Sir Percival and the Lady Rosemonde-before whispering into Merlin's mind. " _You **must** be very careful, Emrys, more careful than you ever have... you are in more danger than I am... far more danger... All of you are in **terrible** danger... You have to protect them...She won't stop at just hurting you... she won't stop until-_ "

" _Until what?_ " Merlin's throat was closing at the ominous tone that coat every syllable that slipped through his mind, his entire body tensing as he watched the Lady Elaine fight against a mixture of herbs to warn them, to make sure that they understood…

Lady Elaine's dulled eyes rolled into her head, her body growing still and silent once more as the herbs finally took enough of a hold to relax her, causing a cry of distress to come from the Lady Rosemonde as she misinterpreted her sister's stillness and rushed to her side.

As Lady Rosemonde frantically pushed at Percival's form and made the confused Knight scrabble backward, the last words Lady Elaine had to say before she slipped into unconsciousness passed through Merlin's mind, " _Until everyone and everything that you care about is dead._ "

Chilled by the statement, Merlin missed the way that Lady Rosemonde looked at him and she had to call his name a few times before she had his attention, even going as far as to place her hand on his shoulder again.

Turning, he saw that she had a calculating look spread across her face, almost as if she knew that there was more to Merlin than met the eye, much like her and what Merlin was quickly coming to believe wasn't her sister. "Are you alright, Sir Merlin? You look so pale... Is she getting worse? I thought you said you could help her...!"

"She's alright, my Lady, it is just the herbs on her wound taking effect... and just Merlin will be fine."

Merlin extracted himself from the grip on his shoulder as quickly as he could without offending and made his way out of the tent, joining Arthur and Sir Leon by the campfire and ignoring the way that the Captain of the Knights was looking at him; it was almost as if Leon wanted Merlin to give him a reason- _any_ reason, really-to kick the woman out of their camp, or just a good enough reason to slay them right then and there, making Merlin feel even more uncomfortable than he had sitting in the tent just a few moments ago.

Thankfully, the Lady Rosemonde exited the tent shortly after Merlin did, the Knights that had gathered inside following behind her heels like pack of faithful hounds and for a brief, heart wrenching moment, Merlin was worried that Sir Leon's warnings were well founded, but then the Knights dispersed among the surrounding forest as the Lady made her over to the fire the three of them were sitting by.

Watching the Knights for a few minutes, the tension that had grabbed a hold of Merlin's shoulders loosened its grip and he was able to breathe easier and pay attention to the conversation going on a few feet away from him...

"...your manservant was quite efficient," Lady Rosemonde was saying, missing Arthur's raised brows as she leaned forward and warmed her hands over the open flame, "My sister is resting peacefully, and will no doubt be able to move in a few hours... I don't suppose you or your men have any extra clothing? As Merlin-" Here, Lady Rosemonde gave the hidden warlock a small smile, making Arthur's brows come in danger of disappearing into his hairline-"pointed out earlier, she is rather... indecent, now."

"I'm sure I can find some kind of clothing for her," Sir Leon sighed, reluctantly coming to the conclusion that these women were going to be part of their party whether he liked it or not and he would have to deal with his King's stubbornness, like usual. That didn't mean he had to like it, nor did it mean that he wasn't going to keep an eye on the pair, _two_ eyes if he could manage it.

Catching Sir Elyan's gaze over the King's head, Sir Leon gave him the signal that meant he wanted someone to watch the man, Elyan's simple nod saying that he had received the message.

Completely oblivious to the byplay going on over his head-or knowing about it and completely ignoring it as he was known to do before, to the people that cared and protected him collective frustration-Arthur had engaged Lady Rosemonde in a conversation about her kingdom, something that had drawn Merlin's attention away from the Knights as well.

"You had said that you were from Dorian, Lady Rosemonde. I'm not sure if I have ever heard of this land, and I have a rather detailed knowledge of the other five kingdoms that share Camelot's borders and beliefs... Would you mind telling us a bit about your country and how you came to be so close to my own?"

Lady Rosemonde had caught the exchange of glances between the Knights and had the grace to look embarrassed, but the look did not linger long and an expression of determination took its place shortly afterward; you could almost see the wheels in her head turning as she decided to do all that she could to make these men trust her and her sister.

Starting with answering Arthur's questions, and answering every question that followed as well.

"I'm not surprised that you haven't heard of Dorian, My Lord, for there are few that remember it by that name... It has been in such disrepute that many have given it a rather bland, but fitting, title and many have called it such for so long that there are only a select few that remember it as Dorian... You have been there before, though My Lord, and I'm proud to say that you would not know it as the land it is now; when you were there, it was a vast wasteland and the land itself fought your every step, but now you would be shocked at the variety of growth and the people themselves would welcome you with open arms..."

Both Merlin and Arthur shared a glance of their own over the Lady's head, both wearing matches expressions of surprise and confusion; they knew the land that the Lady had spoken of, they had gone there years ago-one on a sacred quest, the other to protect the one who quested-and they were shocked at the fact that it had changed so much in the years and confused as to what the Lady was doing near Camelot.

Was she there to thank Arthur as she seemed to claim, or was there something else at work here? Both men knew that Dorian was a magical land, and one knew that one of the Ladies had a power shining in her, so the tension that gripped them was defeating the Lady's purpose of gaining their trust...

This time, it was Lady Rosemonde who was oblivious to the stares and unsaid messages going on around her as she settled back onto the log that served as a chair, a look of adoration being sent Arthur's way in time for the King to school his face into a neutral expression, before continuing on with her story.

"You thought that you were simply on a quest to prove your worth, My Lord, but you did much more than that; you saved my kingdom, my people, and gave our Great King the rest he so desperately craved. There is nothing I have, nothing I can do, to show you how truly and deeply my people and I appreciate what you have done. The land of Dorian, formally known as the Perilous Lands, is forever in your debt and are willing to submit to the rule of Camelot and it's benevolent King."

The Lady Rosemonde reached into her cloak, stopping for a few seconds when the hissing of drawn swords made it sound like they had suddenly come across a pit of angry snakes, before continuing her movement and pulled out a simple silver band decorated with the same kind of flowers that Grettir had turned Gwaine's sword into.

Still moving slowly, Lady Rosemonde placed the band upon Arthur's head, closing his slack jaw with a small smile, before sinking to the forest floor on one knee.

"Long live the King!"


End file.
